Best Games Prizes 2020

Position after

Result:

[Prize "Club Competitions"]
[Match "Surbiton 1 v Kingston 1"]
[Date "8 January 2020"]
[White "CHRIS BRISCOE"]
[Black "Alan Scrimgour"]
[Result "1-0"]

{This game is entered for a Best Game prize because of the concept starting
with 16.Bd6, sacrificing the exchange to take a very firm grip upon the
position by effectively cutting Black's position in half with the Bd6. The
computer may find more accurate ways to win, e.g. by playing f4 when the Black
King gets to g7 but its the overall concept that makes this game special.
Notes, which are not computer aided, are by Chris Briscoe.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6
3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Kh1 {Keeping alive
the option of f4. Also am not sure where I will put my Bc1.. . to g5 or even
to b2.} Nxd4 $5 (8... Be7 9. Nxc6 {would be considered}) 9. Qxd4 Bc5 10. Qd3 b5
11. Bf3 {my opponent said he overlooked this move} e5 $6 (11... Rb8 {is what I
was expecting} 12. b3 O-O 13. Bb2 {is probably how I would have continued,
black is probably okay though}) 12. Bg5 Be7 13. a4 $5 (13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Nd5
Qd8 15. a4 bxa4 {may well be better, but...} 16. Qc4 (16. Qa3 Be7) 16... O-O {
wasn't so clear to me, though white does appear to have a slight edge}) 13...
b4 (13... bxa4 {I would have transposed to the line above}) 14. Bxf6 bxc3 $5 (
14... Bxf6 15. Nd5 Qd8 16. Qc4 {winning a pawn was why I played the 13.a4 move
order}) 15. Bxe7 (15. Bxg7 Rg8 16. Bh6 cxb2 17. Rab1 Rg6 $1 {looked good for
black}) 15... cxb2 16. Bd6 $5 {I played this because it was the most fun
continuation!} (16. Rab1 Kxe7 17. Rxb2 Rb8 18. Rfb1 Rxb2 19. Qa3+ d6 20. Qxb2 {
may well be a bit better, but I wasn't sure how big white's advantage was})
16... bxa1=Q 17. Rxa1 $1 (17. Bxc7 {tempting, as...} Qd4 $2 ({However...} 17...
Qxa4 18. Qd5 Qb5 $1 {is good for black}) 18. Qxd4 exd4 19. e5 Bb7 (19... Ra7
20. Bb8) 20. Bxb7 Ra7 21. Rb1 {wins.}) 17... Qc6 18. c4 $1 {I am the exchange
down, but the beauty is... I just play this as a position!} f6 19. c5 (19. Bh5+
g6 20. Qf3 Kf7 {only serves to jumble up my pieces}) 19... Ra7 20. Qc2 {
Probably a good move. It is important when trying to dominate to defend as well
} g6 {(=)} 21. Be2 Bb7 22. Rb1 Kf7 (22... Qxe4 $4 23. Qxe4 Bxe4 24. Rb8+) 23.
f3 $1 {My opponent seems to be escaping, but I just 'defend', or rather
consolidate, and he still has to break out which is very hard} Kg7 24. Rb6 Qc8
25. Qb2 Re8 26. Bc4 Qa8 $1 27. Qc2 Bc6 28. g4 $6 {The move is interesting as
it threatens to open up another front though} (28. Ba2 {I should have played
this move then, but I didn't see it at that time...} Rb7 29. Qc4) 28... h6 $6 (
28... Rb7 {Just letting the 'a' pawn go was better I think} 29. Rxa6 Qc8) 29.
Ba2 $1 {probably better than Bb3. Also around this time, I only had 2 minutes
left. I asked my match captain Paul Shepherd, 'Is it 30, or 35 the time
control?'. I thought it was 30. It was 35!} Rb7 30. Qc4 Re6 31. Rxc6 {Suddenly
from not really knowing exactly how I was going to break through, this tactic
just happened on the move!} Rb2 (31... Rb1+ {I expected this} 32. Bxb1 Qxc6 33.
Bd3 {But white is still a lot better here}) 32. Rc7 Rxd6 (32... Qd8 33. Qxe6)
33. Qf7+ Kh8 34. cxd6 Qd8 35. Rxd7 {With 6 seconds left, I make the time
control. Black Resigns.} 1-0